2018 Pre-College Summer Session Instructors

Every summer, high school students from around the country travel to Minneapolis to attend MCAD's Pre-College Summer Session (PCSS), a three week long intensive art program. Students choose a major discipline and through a combination of personal investigation and group collaboration, the program encourages them to explore new concepts, share ideas, and develop their studio practice.  This summer, MCAD MFA Alums and current students taught within many of these majors and classes either as the lead instructor or as a teaching assistant. We caught up with four MFA alums and students to hear about their experience:

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This was current MFA candidate Anika Schneider's '19 first year teaching in the PCSS program. As a teaching assistant for artist Shannon Brunette's Observational Drawing class, Anika says "I wanted to be able to try varying teaching methods in order to see what students would respond to best. Although this class was based in observational drawing we were flexible and able to try out some experimental drawing and collaborative projects with the students. I personally wanted to connect with the students and be able to see their growth by the end of the class and also push students out of their comfort zones. I also hoped that the students would be able to see that drawing is a learned skill just like anything else and is not rooted in talent alone." She hoped students would see how their drawing skills are a valuable foundation as they pursue their paths in the arts.
"I really appreciated getting to know the students and see their individuality in their work. Putting together their pieces for the cumulative exhibition was a great experience because it really allowed me to see the students varied and personal approaches to the same assignments.

Alum Kristin Tipping '16 has been involved in PCSS for the past four summers and this is their second summer as Head Teaching Assistant for the comic major.
Tipping says, "a lot of my energy went into just reassuring the students that their comics were alright and they weren't going to fail if they didn't get everything perfect. Most of the students were very invested in the program and they put a lot of pressure on themselves to succeed."

As an Observational Drawing Teaching Assistant for instructor and alum Preston Drum '16, Yi Wan '19 recalls that her biggest goal for her time working in the program was to help and be as supportive as possible when students faced challenges in their work.  "As for the students, I hope that they can learn some techniques and gain the knowledge they may need in the future. I really enjoyed working with these young, passionate and hard-working students. I was impressed by how much progress they made through the 3-week program."

This was also Hallie Bahn's '19 first year as Head Teaching in the Animation Major. Hallie says, "I think when you are entering into animation, there is a myth that you need to be a perfect draftsperson to make worthwhile films and this creates a lot of pressure for new students. One of my goals during the program was to show that everyone can do animation, no matter their drawing skill level. Inventiveness and ingenuity are often times a lot more important." As a stop motion animator, Hallie was very excited that several students decided to go this route for their final project. "Stop motion requires a lot of problem-solving. I was very happy to be able to help them come up with creative solutions."

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Interested in learning more about MCAD’s Pre-College Summer Session? Information about the PCSS program and how to apply can be found here. If you are in high school and interested in taking a single class, MCAD Summer Youth camps and classes are also available. Also, check out the Pre-College Studio Intensives. These are weeklong, 1-credit courses, available for high school students each summer. Portfolio Preparation courses are also available throughout the year. Pre-College Weekend Intensives are two-day, hands-on intensives available in Animation and Comic Art.

The MCAD Continuing Education Department also offers adult courses throughout the year. Choose from evening, weekend, and online art and design classes, noncredit certificates, summer art educator workshops, summer and school-year youth and teen classes, and professional and graduate programs designed to match the personal and career interests of students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds.

Photography by Yi Wan.

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